Daylight tank-developer for roll-films.



w. E. L c. A. ELLIOT.

DAYLIGHT TANK DEVELOPER FOR ROLL FILMS. APPLICATION man Auem. 1915.

Patented July lb, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

W. E. & C. A. ELLIOT.

DAYLIGHT TANK DEVELOPER FOR ROLL FILMS.'

APPLICATION FILED AUG.II. 1915.

Patented July 18, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

.UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

' WILLIAM E. ELLIOT, OF JORDAN, AND CHAUNCEY A. ELLIOT, OF SYBIACUSVE, NEW

` YORK.

' Specification of Letters Patent.

DAYLIGHT TANK-DEVELOPER FOR ROLL-FILMS.

Patented July 18,1916.

Application led August 11, 1915. Serial No. 44,870.

Be it known that we, WILLIAM E. EL- Lro'r and CHAUNGEY A.. ELLIOT, citizens of the United States, residing, respectively, at Jordan and Syracuse, in the county of Onondaga and State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Daylight Tank-Developers for Roll- Films, of which the following is a specication.

This invention is a device by the use of which the so-called daylight loading paper mounted film of the modern photo aphic camera may be unrolled and expose to developing solution without the use of a dark room.

The object of the invention is to provide a device of thischaraoter which is neat, compact in form, easy and economical to construct, eiicient in operation and not readily liable to getout of order.

The invention 'consists in an inclosing case, impervious to light, equipped internally with a suitable supporting device for the film, in combination with a rolling mechanism operatable from outside of the case for unrolling and spreading the film over the support so that each and every part of .the film may be properly exposed to the developing solution which is placed within the case.

The invention also consists in numerous features combined directly and indirectly with the foregoing, all of which will more fully appear in detail in the following speciication and in the claims.

Referring to the drawings, in which similar numerals indicate the same partsthroughout the several views, Figure 1 is a vertical sectional detail view through mechanism illustrating this invention in its preferred form, the same being taken on the line 1-1, Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is aplan view of the device with the case cover removed showing the-roll of film within the device and all parts in the positions which they assume on the initial insertion of the film. Fig. 3 is a changed position view of the parts in Fig. 2 showing the film in unwound position or the position which it occupies during the time the solution within the tank or case is acting upon and developing it. Fig. 4 is a side view of the propelling or motor mechanism for causing the parts to all move fromV the position of Fig. 2 to that of Fig. 3. Fig.

'case wall there is 5 is a vertical sectional view on the line 5--5 Y At the center of the case is a stationary hollow post 14 in'which a removable vertical shaft 16 is journaled. This shaftis provided with a non-circular upper end 18 eX- tending through a suitable opening 2 0 provided for the purpose in the Vcover 12.` The non-circular end 18 just referred to is detachably connectible to an operating handle 22 located outside the case so that the user can, by rotating this handle, rotate the shaft 16. Any suitable packing device, not shown in detail, is preferably provided where the shaft 16 goes through the. cover so as to both exclude light and prevent the escape of liquid if the case is turned on its side or' wholly inverted.

Rigidly secured to and eXtendin horizontally'from the upper portion of s aft 16 is a radial arm 24 of anyl Vsuitable construction provided with one or more tracks 26 on whichV the film carrier l30 is adapted to travel radially of the tank. AAny suitable track device, obvious to a person skilled in the art, may be substituted for the particular one here shown, allowing the film carrier to thus travel radially. Suspended from the carrier 30 proper, just referred to, is a film spool holder 32 of any suitable construction, in which the shaft or axis 34 of the film spool 36 is adapted to'be detachably journaled. In the particular case here illustrated this spool holder 32 is made of spring material so that the spool may be sprung into and out of the holder in the manner well known inthe photographic art.

Inside of the case 10 and having one end secured at any suitable point, as for instance 40 on the outer wall and the other end secured to the central stationary post 14, is a spiral preferably spring film support 42. Near the outer end of this supporting member 42 and preferably vbetween it and the provided a clip 43 or other detachable grlpping device adapted to take hold of the end of the paper 44 to which the film to be developed is attached in the manner now well known in the commercial art.

In the operation of the device a roll of eX- posed film (inclosed in the paper 44 in the ordinary manner) is removed from the camera, placed in the spool holder and in turn placed within the case with all the parts in the position shown in Fig. 1. The developing'solution is now poured into the case, the cover 12 is put in place, the handle 22 is attached, whereupon the operator begins to rotate the handle 22 and consequently the shaft y 16 in a clockwise direction, as viewed in Fig.2. This action causes yarm 24 to rotate with the result that the end of the paper 44, being fast in clip 43, the spool 36 is forced to rotate over the surface of support 42 with the result that the film is gradually unwound from the spool 36 and left in contact with the supporting member 42 as the spool travels along the outer surface of the supporting member 42 until finally all the parts assume the position shown in Fig. 3, in which the film 46 is outside of the paper 44 but inside the case and carried by the support 42, and, therefore, exposed to the action of the developing solution within the device. The operator may now manipulate the light-proof liquid tight case in any manner required by the photographic art forl the length of time specified by the practice of the art for developing the film, after which the handle 22 with the cover 12 and the shaft 16, the member 24 and the attached film is removed from the case and the film is given proper treatment elsewhere.

It is preferable that the length of the supporting member 42 in the case be designed for the special length of film which is to` be developed in a particular case but this is not at all material, as films less than the total length of the supporting member 43 may be unrolled, the unrolling operation being stopped at a suitable point before the parts reach the position of Fig. 3 determined by the len th of paper and film which is being handled.

In order to use a minimum size of case for the development of a maximum length of film the support 42 is made of spring material so that it-can yield readily ofthe case and itis made of such a length that such yielding is necessary in order to allow for the travel of the film spool. In other words, a greater length of support is used than could be used were a fixed spiral support provided with a path wide enough for the passage of the film spool between all adjacent portions of its support.

On the vertical portion of the spool holder 32 there are suitable guiding posts 50 entering elongated slots 5 2 in a transversely slidable horizontal spacing member 54 designed, as shown to fit down between adj acent portions of the supporting member 42 and hold such adjacent members spaced apart a proper distance so that the spool of film may make the trip from the position of Fig. 2 to that of Fig. 3 without the adjacent portions of the film support 42 which is nearest the outside wall of the case being permitted to contact with and interfere with the spool of film. In other words, this member 54 insures the separation of adjacent parts of the spiral member 42 to a sufficient extent so that there is in all positions in the spool of film in its path of travel space for it to move and operate properly.

There is sufficient friction in the moving parts and tension caused by the spring support 42 so that the film is held taut on the support in all positions of the various parts between those shown.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a device of the class described, the combination of a case, a support for the film extending from point to point inside the case, a spool carrier mechanism adapted to travel along said support, and means for causing said spool carrier mechanism to so travel along said support whereby a spool of film on said carrier is unwound upon said support to be sustained thereby.

2. In a device of the class described, the combination of a closed case, a support for the film extending from point to point inside the case, a spool carrier mechanism adapted to travel along said support, and means operated from outside the case for causing said spool carrier mechanism to so travel along said support whereby a spool of film on said carrier is. unwound upon said support to be sustained thereby.

3. In a device of the class described, the combination of a case, a spirally wound film supporting member inside the case, a spool carrier mechanism adjacent to said spiral support, and means for moving the spool carrier to cause it to travel alon said spiral support'to unwind film carried y the spool carrier and leave it sustained by said suport. p 4. In a device of the class described, the combination of a closed case, a spirally wound film supporting member inside the case, a spool carrier mechanism adjacent to said spiral support, and means olperatd from outside the case adapted to cause the spool carrier to travel along said spiral support to unwind film carried by the spool carrier and leave it sustained by said suport. p 5. In a device of the class described, the combination of a closed case, a spiral film support inside the case, a spool 'carrier .operatable from outside the closed case and mechanism operatable from outside the closed case adapted to so cause the spool carrier to so travel.

In a device of theclass described, the combination of a closed case, a spiral film support inside the case, said film support being of spring material of sufficient length so that adjacent coils move radially within the case as the spool carrier travels along the support, a spool carrier mechanism adapted to travel from point to point inside the case traversing said support to unroll film transported by the carrier and leave it sustained by said support, and mechanism adapted to cause the spool carrier to so travel.

7 In a device of the class described,the combination of a suitable case, a removable cover therefor, a spiral film support inside the case, said film support being of spring material of sufcient length. so that adjacent coils move radially within the case as the spool carrier travels along the support, a spool carrier mechanism adapted to travel from point to point inside the case traversing said support to unroll film transported by the carrier and leav'e it sustained by said support, mechanism operatable from outside the closed case adapted to so cause the spool carrier to travel, and a Spacing device carried by the spool carrier adapted to separate adjacent portions of the film support to prevent their interference with the .spool carrier as it so travels.

' 8. In a device of the class described, a suitable case and its cover, a film supporting member wound in a spiral inside the case, one end of said spiral being attached to an outer portion of the case, the other end being attached to a central support within the case, ashaft pivoted to said central support, a radial arm carried by said shaft, a spool carrier mechanism mounted upon said radial arm tov slide radially of the case and adapted to support a spool of film to be unrolled in proximity to the surface of the spiral support, means for attaching the film upon such a spool at a fixed point upon the spiral support, and means for rotating said radial arm, whereby the spool of film is caused to rotate along the surface of the-support and leave the 'film which was carried by it sustained by the support, for the purposes set forth.

9. In a device of the class described, a

suitable case and its cover, a film supporting member wound in a spiral inside the case, said film support being of spring material of sufficient length so that adjacent coils move radially 'Within the case as the spool carrier travels along the support, one end of saidspiral being attached to an outer portion of the case, the other end being attached to a central support within the case, a shaft pivoted to said central support, a radial arm carried by said shaft, a spool carrier mechanism mounted upon said radial arm to slide radially of the case and adapted to support a spool of lm to be unrolled in proximity to the surface of the spiral support, means for attaching the film upon the spool at-a fixed point upon the spiral support, and means for rotating said radial arm whereby the spool of lm is caused to rotate along the surface of the support and leave the film which was carried by it sustained by the support, for the purposes set forth.

In witness whereof, we have hereunto subscribed our names in the presence of two witnesses'. l

WILLIAM n; ELLIOT. CHAUNCEY A. ELLIOT.

Witnesses:

JAMES A. HOWLAND, CHAs. W. TowNsEND. 

